Moroccan defender Mehdi Benatia emerged as one of the most wanted players in Europe this summer, especially those with central defensive needs.

In the Premier League that was no different. Chelsea were said to view him as the ultimate John Terry replacement. Manchester United however wanted him for obvious reasons. Their leaky defence needs plugging.

But the mood all changed when Spanish international Javi Martinez suffered knee ligament damage earlier this month - leaving Bayern Munich short of centre-back options for the majority of the campaign.

So the Bundesliga champions joined the race, and won it yesterday after an agreement was reached between both sides.

The 27-year-old would have been absolutely perfect for the Premier League, United in particular need him, and at a fee said to be in the region of £24 million, it would have been a no brainer.

So why did Bayern get the nod? Both Chelsea and United could have rivalled the German side on salary and prestige, but they could not offer one thing Bayern had - Pep Guardiola.

"I am very happy that my transfer to Bayern is happening at last. The move dragged on for a bit and at some point I feared that it could fall through. But Guardiola desperately wanted me at Bayern and an agreement was eventually reached. Guardiola is a fantastic trainer and I am looking forward to working with him. Bayern have a lot of amazing players and it is a dream come true to be part of this great squad."

Benatia will now battle with the likes of Dante and Jerome Boateng for a starting slot at Bayern, while the returning Holger Badstuber will also present a challenge, but do not doubt it, Benatia is world-class, and will soon prove it in Bavaria.

Should United or Chelsea pushed harder for Benatia?

Mathew Nash

I’m Mathew Nash a 24 year old graduate in Sports Studies and I have an insatiable love for sport. With a particularly keen interest for the madcap world of football I have always been known amongst friends as a beacon for bizarre sporting trivia and knowledge. My other passion is for writing and hopefully combining the two will create a superb and entertaining marriage that will create, divide and share opinion.